Some interesting and relevant facts I have found related to this. And cites to verify where appropriate.
Shooter was 20. By federal law, he did not get his weapon from a dealer himself.
Concealed carry was permitted by the state, but not by the school
http://www.armedcampuses.org/oregon/As of March 2015, Concealed carry was not permitted, except by written permission by college
State law required a concealed carry in schools but only allowed if school did not opt out and if person was permitted. In any event he was under age 21 so he could not obtain a CCW permit.
The school had only one security guard, and he was not permitted to be armed.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2015/10/01/former-ore-community-college-president-says-school-only-had-one-unarmed/We need to wait on the overall facts of the situation to determine what, if any additional laws could have prevented him from obtaining the weapon.
I find it difficult to think of anything that would/could/should have been done to prevent that. Oregon permits handgun purchase and possession by a person age 18 or older. The feds prohibit a dealer to sell a handgun to anyone under 21 so if it was a purchase by him it had to have been a private purchase.
Oregon required universal background checks that went into effect about the end of August. So if he bought it himself, he passed the background check or did it a while back.
Nemo
